The Dallas Cowboys may have had an opportunity fall into their lap this week. On Wednesday, the Seattle Seahawks cut longtime star receiver Tyler Lockett in a cost-saving measure. Seattle released four players in total to help get them in a better position to be players once free agency begins at the start of the 2025 league year, Wednesday at 4pm ET.
Lockett has spent all 10 years of his career in the Pacific Northwest, currently ranking second in franchise history in receptions (661), receiving touchdowns (61) and receiving yards (8,594). But his production dipped considerably the last two seasons as the regime in Seattle was in transition. Locket caught 49 balls for 600 yards, his lowest numbers since 2018 and there should be questions about whether the dip was on him or the offense he was a part of.
For their part, the Dallas Cowboys are in need of a player similar to Lockett. After having Brandin Cooks as the No. 2 receiver opposite CeeDee Lamb in one of the league's best offenses in 2023, the club couldn't reproduce that magic again in 2024. Cook and Lockett are almost twin body types, both standing at 5-foot-10 and being within seven pounds of each other at 189 and 182 pounds, respectively.
Cooks, two years younger than Lockett, is also a free agent Dallas could consider bringing back, but perhaps the most intriguing thing about Lockett is his prior relationship with new Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer. During Schotty's three-year tenure as OC in Seattle from 2018 through 2020, Lockett put up over 3,000 receiving yards on 239 receptions, scoring 28 touchdowns.
Lockett, who has made over $88.8 million across the course of his career, is projected to be worth around $7.7 million on a one-year contract, according to Spotrac's projections.
Technically, the Cowboys don't have to wait for the beginning of the league year to sign Lockett if they wanted to, they can reach out now if they have interest. Lockett is a vested veteran who is cut, so he can sign with any team at any time. But with so many options getting ready to hit the board, waiting to kick the tires on other possibilities seems to be the best judgment.
